HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bancroft Hall, at the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is ...
in
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
, is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the U.S. Bancroft Hall, named after former U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and famous historian/author
George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...
, is home for the entire brigade of 4,000
midshipmen A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afri ...
, and contains some 1,700 rooms, of corridors, and of floor space. All the basic facilities that midshipmen need for daily living are found in the hall. It is referred to as "Mother B" or "The Hall" by Midshipmen.


History

Bancroft Hall was designed in the Beaux-Arts style with its mansard roof and dormer windows by architect
Ernest Flagg Ernest Flagg (February 6, 1857 – April 10, 1947) was an American architect in the Beaux-Arts style. He was also an advocate for urban reform and architecture's social responsibility. Early life and education Flagg was born in Brooklyn, New ...
and its central rotunda and first two wings were built in 1901–06. Over the intervening years it has been expanded to encompass eight wings of five stories ("decks") each numbered 0–4. The original two wings (1906) are now the 3rd and 4th wings; the next pair, added in 1917, are now the 1st and 2nd wings; a pair added in 1939 became the 5th and 6th wings; and a final pair were added in the 1961 as the 7th and 8th wings. The 3rd wing was built over the remains of the old
Fort Severn Fort Severn, in present-day Annapolis, Maryland, was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War fort of 1776. Although intended to guard Annapolis harbor from British attack during the War of 1812, it never saw act ...
. In addition to the midshipmen rooms, Bancroft Hall houses offices for the Commandant of Midshipmen, six
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
officers, six battalion chaplains, thirty company officers and their senior enlisted leaders, a barbershop,
bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...
, travel office, a small restaurant known as "Steerage,"
textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textbook ...
store, general store ("The Midshipmen Store"),
laundromat A self-service laundry, coin laundry, laundromat, or coin wash is a facility where clothes are washed and dried without much personalized professional help. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, and in the Unit ...
, uniform store,
cobbler Cobbler(s) may refer to: *A person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes Places * The Cobbler, a mountain located near the head of Loch Long in Scotland * Mount Cobbler, Australia Art, entertainment and media * ''The Cobbler'' (1923 film ...
shop, the USNA Band, the USNA branch of the
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...
, a
gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational in ...
nasium, spaces for
extracurricular activities An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) or cultural activities is an activity, performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school, college or university education. Such activities a ...
, and full medical & dental clinics as well as small optometry and orthopedics clinics. The Hall has its own ZIP code (21412). A nine-year renovation project completed in 2003 by Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. and RTKL Associates Inc. of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
included of wiring to equip the building with a modern data communication network. The building also contains King Hall (named after Fleet Admiral
Ernest King Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was an American naval officer who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH-CNO, he directed the Un ...
, (1878–1956),
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a mem ...
and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Fleet in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
) where all midshipmen are fed simultaneously three times daily, and Memorial Hall (see below). Memorial Hall and the Rotunda of Bancroft Hall are open to the general public, but access to the rest of the building is normally limited to assigned Naval personnel or accompanied authorized visitors. There are rooms in Bancroft dedicated to each Academy graduate
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...
recipient in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
or Marine Corps.


The Rotunda and Memorial Hall

Central to Bancroft Hall is the Rotunda, with wings on either side. Over the Rotunda is a large mural of the , during the
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...
in World War II. Memorial Hall is up the large staircase from the Rotunda. This hall contains the honor roll of over 2,660 Naval Academy alumni who have died in military operations; their names are listed by class year on the walls and includes non-graduates and midshipmen. In the front of the hall, opposite the entrance, is a panel containing the full names and class years of the 963 alumni who are listed as killed in action. This panel is organized by war and alphabetically by last name. Throughout the rest of the hall there are memorials and plaques to specific alumni or small groups of alumni. (Details about the lives of the men and women honored in Memorial Hall are catalogued at th
Virtual Memorial Hall
project.) There are 489 panes of glass in the
skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...
. Below Memorial Hall is Smoke Hall. :


Memorial Hall Dedication

The Dedication in Memorial Hall was written by William Nathaniel Thomas, Chaplain USNA (1892-1971) who was the seventh US Navy Chief of Chaplains (1945-1949). Memorial Hall within Bancroft Hall honors those United States Naval Academy alumni lost in combat or military operations in service to their country. In 1952 after soliciting suggestions for the dedication, Royal S. Pease, Professor, Department of English, USNA, wrote Chaplain Thomas "...There was a very widespread search for this and scores of suggestions were made. None seemed at all satisfactory until yours was presented. It was at once seized upon as being the right sort of thing: in the right spirit and in the right phrase. Widespread criticism was invited... but they found none to improve upon yours. It is now in Memorial Hall, below the ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship’ flag." Pease, Royal S., Professor, Department of English, USNA, Correspondence to Chaplain Thomas, July 11, 1952 File:USNA Memorial Hall.jpg, Dedication in Memorial Hall USNA File:Memorial Dedication Close up 041.jpg, Dedication Plaque in Memorial Hall


Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

The
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the American college football series among the teams of the U.S. Military Academy (Army Black Knights), the U.S. Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), and the U.S. Air Force Ac ...
is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among the United States Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), the United States Military Academy (Army Black Knights), and the United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Falcons). When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in the Rotunda.


References


External links


USNA Virtual Memorial HallUSNA midshipmen created King Hall menu app articleNext Meal menu app info pageRegulations of the US Naval Academy 1907
{{Coord, 38.9816, -76.4831, type:landmark_region:US-MD, display=title United States Naval Academy buildings and structures University and college dormitories in the United States Beaux-Arts architecture in Maryland 1900s architecture in the United States